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RESULTS OF PRE-IG HAITI FY 1976-77 COUNTRY ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY PAPER (CASP)
June 3, 1975, 12:31 a.m.
1. RESULTS OF PRE-IG CONSIDERATION OF HAITI CASP FOLLOWS: A. CONSENSUS WITHIN THE PRE-IG WAS THAT COUNTRY TEAM HAD DONE A MOST EFFECTIVE JOB IN COMPLYING WITH NEW CASP GUI- DANCE SO AS TO PROVIDE A SUCCINCT AND MOST USEFUL DOCUMENT. B. ISSUE NO 1 WAS VIEWED AS A RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC REQUEST OF THE ACTING EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN CONTAINED IN THE DECISION MEMORANDUM OF LAST YEAR'S CASP THAT THE COUNTRY TEAM INCLUDE A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE STRATEGY CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 STATE 128306 STATEMENT. THOUGH THE EMBASSY WENT WELL BEYOND THIS MAN- DATE BY MAKING THE STATEMENT A MAJOR ISSUE, PRE-IG AGREED ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE IS AT THE CORE OF US POLICY IN HAITI AND SHOULD BE SO TREATED. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ISSUE WAS JUDGED COMPREHENSIVE AND THOROUGH. C. IT WAS THE PRE-IG CONSENSUS THAT ISSUE NO 2 PULLS TOGETHER SEVERAL DISPARATE AND SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT IDEAS UNDER ONE RUBRIC. IT STATES A REAL DIFFICULTY WHICH CON- FRONTS THE USG INCREASINGLY, HOWEVER, AND IS WORTH ADDRES- SING. PRINCIPAL FOCUS OF DISCUSSION WAS ON ISSUE RESOLU- TION, SPECIFICALLY RESOLUTION 5(A) AND (B). AGENCY REPRE- SENTATIVES SOUGHT TO ADD PRECISION TO THE PHRASES "IN CASES WHICH HAVE MERIT" AND "IN CASES OF DOUBTFUL MERIT." PRINCIPLE OF PROVIDING A CRITERION TO DIFFERENTIATE BE- TWEEN BUSINESS CLAIMS AGAINST THE GOH WHICH SHOULD AND THOSE WHICH SHOULD NOT RECEIVE USG SUPPORT WAS ACCEPTED. TO ASSURE CASP PHRASING CONSISTENT WITH US STATUTORY RE- QUIREMENTS, IT WAS RESOLVED THAT LANGUAGE OF 5 (A) AND (B) BE EXAMINED BY L/ARA. THE FOLLOWING SUBSTITUTE TEXT PRO- VIDED BY L/ARA IS BEING INCORPORATED IN THE CONSOLIDATED CHANGE SHEET: "(A) IN CASES WHERE IT APPEARS, AFTER ANALYSIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES AND ON THE BASIS OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION, THAT A PARTICULAR CLAIM MAY HAVE MERIT, WE WILL PRESS TOWARDS NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENTS OR OTHER EFFECTIVE MEANS OF RESOLUTION, ARGU- ING THAT THE GOH MUST ASSUME THE COST OF A REASONABLE SETTLEMENT AND INDICATING THAT LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS MAY HAVE TO BE APPLIED IF IT DOES NOT. "(B) IN CASES WHERE ON THE BASIS OF THE SAME ANALYSIS AND AVAILABLE INFORMATION, IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT THE US INVESTOR'S CLAIM IS OF QUESTIONABLE MERIT, WE WILL INDI- CATE TO THE INVESTOR OUR DOUBTS AND SUGGEST THAT HE PRE- SENT INFORMATION WHICH WOULD SUBSTANTIATE HIS CLAIM, PUR- SUE LOCAL LEGAL REMEDIES IF HE HAS NOT DONE SO, OR SEEK ESPOUSAL. IN THOSE CASES WE WILL CONTINUE THE USE OF OUR GOOD OFFICES IN ENCOURAGING THE GOH TO KEEP OPEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE INVESTOR, BUT WE WILL NOT PRESS THE GOH WITH RESPECT TO SETTLEMENT ON THE MERITS, AND WE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 STATE 128306 WILL DEFEND, IF NECESSARY IN PUBLIC, OUR CONCLUSION THAT THE LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS ARE NOT APPLICABLE." D. THE PRE-IG FOUND THAT ISSUE NO 3 HAD BEEN CONSIDERED IN LAST YEAR'S CASP, AND RECOMMENDED THAT IT NOT BE TREATED AS A MAJOR ISSUE IN THE PRESENT CASP. IT WILL BE PLACED IN EDITED FORM (SEE CONSOLIDATED CHANGE SHEET WHICH WILL BE POUCHED TO POST) IN SECTION III AS A NON- MAJOR ISSUE UNDER "ORIENTATION OF THE HAITIAN ARMED FORCES" (P. 20). THE PRE-IG REAFFIRMED THE DECISIONS MADE BY LAST YEAR'S IG ON SECURITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR HAITI. ALSO, THE PRE-IG EXPLICITLY ENDORSED ESTABLISHMENT OF AN FMS CREDIT PROGRAM FOR HAITI AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. 2. THE PRE-IG DECIDED THAT NO MEETING OF THE IG WAS RE- QUIRED. A PROPOSED DECISION MEMORANDUM INCLUDING THE CONSOLIDATED CHANGE SHEET WILL BE CIRCULATED TO MEMBERS OF THE IG FOR APPROVAL. MAW CONFIDENTIAL NNN